Chapter 51: Coronation

It was late at night, and the noise in the Weiyang Palace had finally settled down. The palace maids prepared dinner for the Emperor and Empress in an orderly manner. Although Liu Li had eaten outside the palace, she still stayed to accompany A Jiao and Liu Che to eat a little more.

Liu Che asked a few questions about Liu Li's situation at the Imperial Academy, and also asked what Dong Zhongshu had said to her.

Liu Li answered one by one, and also told Liu Che about her idea of promoting the Imperial Academy throughout the Han Dynasty.

After listening, although Liu Che praised Liu Li's idea, he rejected it: "The idea is good, but now is not the time."

Liu Li ate a piece of steamed bun and said vaguely: "I know this, after all, there are not many scholars now."

Liu Che raised his eyes and glanced at her, his lips smiling but he didn't say anything.

A Li was always able to come up with some ideas that even he found wonderful. Whether they were thought of by herself or by the Goddess behind her, it was a good thing for the Han.

After dinner, A Jiao took Liu Li back to her room alone. When it was just the mother and daughter, A Jiao suddenly knocked on Liu Li's head.

"Mm?" Liu Li looked at A Jiao innocently: "Why did Mother hit me?"

A Jiao scolded lightly: "Do you really know you were wrong?"

Liu Li paused, then smiled and stretched out her hands to hug A Jiao's thick waist: "Sorry Mother, it was A Li who made you worry."

A Jiao reached out her finger to press against her daughter's little head and said very seriously: "I know you are clever and not a child, and you wouldn't be in trouble even if you were left alone at the Imperial Academy. But I will still worry. After all, in the eyes of outsiders, you are just a six-year-old child. With such a small stature, any bad person could kidnap you. Even if you have great abilities, what can you do?"

Listening to A Jiao's worry for her, Liu Li felt a warmth in her heart. She sniffed and said hurriedly: "It's okay, doesn't A Li have the protection of a Goddess? Nothing will happen."

A Jiao looked at her and didn't speak.

Liu Li leaned into her arms and acted like a spoiled child: "Mother, Mother, I know I was wrong, I won't do it next time. I didn't tell you in advance this time, but you understood what I meant, which shows that our mother and daughter are connected, so Mother, don't be angry, okay?"

A Jiao looked down at the little one before her, and her expression gradually softened.

"By the way, I saw a beautiful hairpin in the Willow Market." Liu Li said, turned and ran to get her "LV" bag, found the hairpin in the bag, and handed it to A Jiao with her small hand: "For you."

A Jiao reached out and took the hairpin, her fingertips stroking the jade hairpin, her eyes smiling: "So beautiful."

Liu Li looked up at A Jiao: "Mother, let me put it on for you."

A Jiao nodded, squatted down halfway in front of her daughter, and lowered her head to let her change the jade hairpin. After changing it, Liu Li even brought a mirror for A Jiao to look at.

What appeared in the mirror was Liu Che's face. Perhaps because the light in the room was not bright enough, this face looked somewhat hazy, not as sharp as the former Liu Che.

For some reason, A Jiao always felt that this face looked less and less like Liu Che. Just as she faced her own face now, she always felt it looked less and less like herself.

Most of the things in Liu Li's room were redeemed from the System Mall, and the glass mirror in her hand was also one of them.

However, although Liu Li could redeem these things that only existed in the modern era, she rarely took these things out of her room. Because she was clear that every item she redeemed would bring changes to this space-time.

Therefore, the scope of use of these post-modern things was limited to her room.

The palace attendants of the Jiaofang Hall all knew that the Princess of Jianling's bedroom was a forbidden area of the entire Jiaofang Hall. Except for Zhuqing and Qiao, the two personal maids of the Princess, who could enter, anyone else who entered without authorization would be severely punished.

The next day, A Jiao prepared a carriage specifically for Liu Li to pick her up, arranged for guards to escort her, and no longer traveled with Liu Yue and Liu Ling.

After entering the Imperial Academy, led by the page boy, she came to a classroom.

Because she was a Princess, the three seats in the front row were just

occupied by the three Princesses. Liu Li put down the bag she was carrying and carefully looked at the layout of the classroom.

There were three rows and five columns of desks in the classroom, a total of fifteen desks, and the entire classroom could accommodate fifteen people.

There was a large desk in the front row, which must be the teacher's seat.

After a while, the page boy led another young lady over. Liu Li looked up and found it was Wei Yan'er.

Wei Yan'er stood in front of the classroom, looked at the three Princesses inside, bowed slightly: "Princess of Jianling is well, two Princesses are well."

Liu Li pointed to the seat behind her: "Sister Yan'er, sit here."

Wei Yan'er nodded: "Yes."

There were only seven girls who came to report to the Imperial Academy yesterday. Excluding the three Princesses of the royal family, the young ladies of the marquis families were Chen Yu arranged by the Tangyi Marquis Mansion, Wei Yan'er of the Pingqu Marquis family, as well as Han Wan, the granddaughter of the Marquis of Great Merit, and Cheng Xin, the granddaughter of General Cheng Bushi.

Wei Yan'er sat behind Liu Li and asked in a low voice: "Princess, where did you go yesterday?"

Liu Li didn't hide it from Wei Yan'er and smiled: "I asked Young Master Sang to take me to the market, which delayed some time."

"So that's how it is." As soon as Wei Yan'er finished speaking, another girl appeared at the classroom door.

Although she looked like a girl, her attire was that of a real man. Her hair was tied behind her head, and she was very spirited. Moreover, she was very tall. Liu Li estimated that she was about 1.65 meters tall.

At less than fifteen years old, she was already 1.65 meters tall. If she grew for a few more years, she might be 1.7 meters!

This young lady walked in, ignored everyone, and walked straight to the last row of the classroom to sit down.

Wei Yan'er told Liu Li: "This is General Cheng's granddaughter, Cheng Xin."

Liu Li asked in a low voice: "Cheng Bushi?"

Wei Yan'er nodded.

Liu Li quietly glanced at Cheng Xin in the last row, her eyes filled with curiosity. This Cheng Bushi was also a figure who left his name in history, but his fame was much inferior to others of the same period.

However, from the current point of view, Cheng Bushi was as famous as Li Guang.

The famous frontier poet Wang Changling of the Tang Dynasty once wrote a poem that primary and secondary school students were required to recite in full, one line of which was: "If the flying general of Longcheng is here, do not let the Hu horses cross the Yin Mountains."

The flying general of Longcheng here refers to Wei Qing and Li Guang.

Cheng Bushi was different from Li Guang. He was not from a noble family and had not received good military training. Before he became an official, he was just an ordinary person.

His parents ran a small wine shop, and it was the retired veterans who often came to his house to drink who taught Cheng Bushi the knowledge of leading troops to fight.

After Cheng Bushi joined the army according to the law, he was brave and resourceful, rising step by step, and finally became friends with Li Guang.

In the second year of Yuanguang, Liu Che deployed 300,000 troops to ambush in Mayi, but the plan failed. The general leading the troops at the time, Wang Hui, committed suicide in prison because he was afraid that Liu Che's anger could not be calmed.

Li Guang and Cheng Bushi, who participated in the battle, were also demoted. Cheng Bushi was transferred to Yanmen Pass as the prefect, and his family's female relatives remained in Chang'an.

Coming to the Imperial Academy was truly a correct choice. She basically knew all the civil officials in the Han court, and now it was time to get to know some military generals.

I don't know if there will be a chance to meet that flying general Li Guang in the future.

The third young lady who walked in was Han Wan, the granddaughter of the Marquis of Great Merit. She wore an apricot-yellow skirt, and her movements were dignified and elegant. After entering the door, she bowed to the three Princesses in the front row: "Greetings to the three Princesses."

After saluting, she glanced at the entire classroom and finally chose to sit in the seat behind Liu Yue, next to Wei Yan'er. Liu Li observed her overall movements and felt that this was a very elegant young lady.

The granddaughter of the Marquis of Great Merit.

Liu Li recited silently in her heart, recalling in her mind who the Marquis of Great Merit in history was. This title of Marquis of Great Merit sounded familiar, but for a moment she couldn't think of the corresponding information.

Now only Chen Yu from the Tangyi Marquis Mansion hadn't arrived, but the doctor who taught them had arrived. The doctor who taught them didn't leave a name in history, but being appointed as a doctor

, he must have a certain amount of talent.

In the first lesson, the page boy gave everyone bamboo slips. The doctor read a sentence on the podium, they followed and wrote it down on the bamboo slips, and then the doctor explained the meaning and thought behind the sentence to them.

Wasn't this like a language class in the later generations? Liu Li was so sleepy that her two eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand pounds.

The doctor on the podium naturally saw Liu Li's performance. His brows furrowed, and he wanted to give a hint, but thinking of Dong Doctor's praise for this Princess of Jianling, he finally endured it.

A class lasted for more than an hour. When the doctor stood up and announced a break, Liu Li woke up instantly.

Then the doctor walked to Liu Li's desk. He stared at Liu Li's blank bamboo slips, so angry that his beard blew: "Princess of Jianling, why haven't you written a single word?"

"Returning to Master, the content you just taught, I have already remembered it in my heart." Liu Li replied: "So I don't want to waste bamboo slips and ink."

You were clearly dozing off just now! The doctor slandered in his heart, and then said: "Since that's the case, please repeat the content of my lecture just now, Princess."

Liu Li raised her hand and knocked on her head, saying: "Master just said that ritual education is something indispensable to people, especially ritual and benevolence. Ritual is a moral norm, benevolence is a moral criterion..."

She combined the things she could remember with the Confucian and Mencian theories she had learned in books before, and said a lot, making the doctor dumbfounded.

"You... you..."

Liu Ling, who was sitting on the side, gloated in her heart. On the first day of class, Liu Li actually made the doctor so angry that he couldn't speak. If Father Emperor knew, he would definitely not spare her.

Who knew that the next moment, the doctor actually bowed to Liu Li: "The Princess of Jianling can be called a great Confucian of this generation."

A great Confucian in Confucianism is a respectful term for knowledgeable intellectuals like Confucius and Mencius. Now the doctor who taught them actually called the Princess of Jianling a great Confucian directly, which surprised the few girls in the classroom.

Liu Li: "..."

She hurriedly stood up and returned the salute to the doctor: "Master praised me too much, I just heard Master's explanation, so I thought of whatever I said. A Li really doesn't dare to be called a great Confucian."

The doctor said: "No wonder Doctor Dong praises the Princess endlessly, the Princess's thoughts are beyond what we can reach."

Liu Li was modest again and again, and finally sent the doctor away. The doctor even said that he would invite Liu Li to attend their Confucian seminar next time.

Liu Li: "..." I really thank you!

But it cannot be denied that the ideological culture formed in the early ancient China, whether it is Confucian learning, or the ideological culture of Taoism, Legalism, etc., has been passed down for thousands of years and is something engraved in the bones of the Chinese people.

If you compare ideological culture to a person, the ideological development at this time is still in its infancy and is immature.

And Liu Li, who had experienced mature ideological and cultural education, did not want to interfere with the Confucian culture that was still in its infancy at this time. After all, human growth is a process of exploration.

Moreover, after the Qin Shi Huang's "burning books and burying Confucian scholars" measure, the Confucianism of the Western Han period was no longer traditional Confucianism.

The Confucian thought proposed by Dong Zhongshu integrated Taoism, Legalism, Yin-Yang School, and other theories, which led to the new Confucianism of today.

And the reason why Liu Che chose Confucian thought as the mainstream policy was also because Confucianism at this time advocated that the monarch's power was bestowed by heaven. Confucianism could consolidate centralized power, which was exactly what Liu Che needed, so he promoted Confucianism.

If the thought integrated by Dong Zhongshu was not conducive to centralized power, Liu Che would probably be the second Qin Shi Huang.

Although early Confucianism talked about the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues, that is, the ruler is the guide for the subject, the father is the guide for the son, and the husband is the guide for the wife, there were not many restrictions on women. The meaning of the husband being the guide for the wife was also that the husband should be a role model for the wife.

It wasn't until the Eastern Han Dynasty that Ban Zhao, a woman from a Confucian family, wrote "Admonitions for Women," believing that women should follow the Three Obediences and Four Virtues. With the development of society and the change of dynasties, early Confucianism was misinterpreted by later generations.

It wasn't until the Song Dynasty, with the emergence of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, that the social status of women fell to the bottom.

There was nearly a thousand years of development in between. Even if Liu Li wanted to do something, I'm afraid it would only add to her

troubles.

This morning session ended, and there was a one-hour break at noon. I heard that those young masters had already gone to the back field to play Cuju.

Liu Li had been kneeling in the classroom for more than an hour, and now she wanted to stand up, but felt her legs were numb and had no feeling.

The Western Han without chairs was simply too uncomfortable.

Before in the Jiaofang Hall, Liu Li had never knelt like this, so she didn't feel anything. Now in the classroom, the sitting posture had to be upright, which was a manifestation of etiquette, and she discovered this drawback.

Kneeling for such a long time, the blood in her legs didn't circulate, and she was afraid her legs would be ruined.

How could these ancients stand it?

Liu Li quietly glanced at Liu Yue, who was still sitting straight beside her, and sighed in her heart. Weren't her legs numb?

It was okay for a day or two, but if this continued, who could stand it?

No, this can't go on. She was only six years old now. Kneeling like this for a long time would make her not grow tall!

"Princess, do you want to go out for a stroll?" Wei Yan'er took the initiative to invite Liu Li.

Liu Li rubbed her legs, which were still a bit numb, and nodded: "Alright." Just in time to activate the blood in her legs.

Seeing this, Han Wan said softly: "Princess of Jianling, can I go with you?"

Liu Li nodded: "Of course."

The three of them went out together. Han Wan and Wei Yan'er were eleven or twelve-year-old girls. Standing beside Liu Li, they looked like big sisters taking a little sister.

The entire Imperial Academy covered a very large area, not only with corridors but also with flowers, plants, and ponds for viewing.

The three of them walked to a pavilion. Liu Li sat down leaning against the railing, took out the chocolate wrapped in cloth from her bag, and placed it on the stone table beside her: "Two sisters, let me treat you to some candy."

Han Wan looked at the black candy before her, her eyes surprised and curious: "What kind of candy is this?" She had never seen it before.

Liu Li only said: "It can be eaten, Sister A Wan, try it."

Han Wan took a piece of candy through a handkerchief and placed it gently in her mouth. Then she exclaimed: "What a strange taste."

Wei Yan'er smiled: "When I ate it for the first time, I also felt the taste was strange, but after tasting it, I felt it had an endless aftertaste."

Han Wan sat down beside Liu Li, her beautiful eyes fixed on Liu Li: "Thank you, Princess, for the candy."

"Sister A Wan, don't be polite. This is the Imperial Academy. In school, there is no distinction between high and low. Sister A Wan, just call me A Li."

"Alright, A Li." Han Wan called out softly, and then covered her lips and laughed.

"What is Sister A Wan laughing at?" Liu Li asked.

Han Wan said: "My uncle used to be the companion of the Emperor, and now I can study with the Princess. Can this be considered a kind of fate?"

Liu Li blinked: "Who is Sister A Wan's uncle?"

Mentioning her uncle, Han Wan first frowned, seemingly unwilling to mention this person, but because of Liu Li's inquiry, she said: "My uncle was once the Grand Master Han Yan."

Oh!

It was actually Han Yan!

Hearing this name, Liu Li immediately connected the relationship. Han Yan was a descendant of Han Xin, the King of Han, and the illegitimate grandson of the former Gonggao Marquis Han Tuidang. He left his name in history because he was a companion to Liu Che, and was also known as the Han Prince's Grandson.

Han Yan was good at riding and shooting, and was good at fawning and pleasing. After Liu Che succeeded to the throne, he wanted to attack the Xiongnu, and Han Yan took the initiative to say he wanted to lead troops to practice, becoming the only person who supported Liu Che.

It was also because of this that Han Yan's status became more and more noble, and he himself became somewhat carried away. In the fourth year of Jianyuan, the King of Jiangdu, Liu Fei, came to Chang'an to pay respects to the Emperor. Han Yan rode in the Imperial carriage and ignored Liu Fei, who reported it to the Wang Taihou, causing the Empress Dowager to be dissatisfied with Han Yan.

Later, in order to please the Wang Taihou, Han Yan found the daughter of the Wang Taihou who was among the people, and let the mother and daughter reunite. Although he thought it was a good thing, the Wang Taihou was even more dissatisfied with Han Yan.

It was also in the same year that Han Yan was secretly executed by the Wang Taihou.

Han Wan was actually Han Yan's niece. It wasn't that Liu Li found it strange.

Now the situation of the young ladies, Liu Li basically figured it out, and she also came with the mentality of making friends. As for the boys, Liu Li hadn't thought about how to start for a while.

However, there should be a long time in the future when everyone would study together, so it wouldn't be too late to get to know them slowly then.

Around three o'clock in the afternoon, the Imperial Academy dismissed school. Several girls said goodbye to each other and got on their own carriages to return.

The learning situation of the first day of the Imperial Academy was summarized by the doctors to Dong Zhongshu, and Dong Zhongshu went to the palace to report to the Emperor and report the learning situation of each disciple.

A Jiao heard Dong Zhongshu's praise for Liu Li, and her heart was also proud.

After Liu Li returned to the Weiyang Palace, she suggested to A Jiao and Liu Che: "I think the desks in the Imperial Academy are too high, I need to use more cushions."

Liu Che naturally wouldn't care about such things and agreed directly. Liu Li took out the desk and chair diagram she drew: "Father Emperor, look, how are these desks and chairs?"

"This... what is behind the desk?" Liu Che asked.

Liu Li hurriedly popularized science to Liu Che: "This thing is called a stool, and it can also be called a chair."

Kneeling today is a kind of etiquette, especially when students are in class, kneeling is a manifestation of respect for the master.

Kneeling for a minute or two is fine, but kneeling for an hour or two, Liu Li really couldn't stand it.

The Han Dynasty didn't have the concept of stools and chairs at this time. It wasn't until the Wei and Jin Dynasties that the nomadic peoples of the north entered the Central Plains, and they had something called a "Hu bed," which was a stool that could be folded.

By the Tang Dynasty, people's sitting posture began to change, and stools gradually evolved into chairs with backs and armrests.

Liu Li said: "Today, daughter was in class at the Imperial Academy, and for a whole hour, I was in a kneeling position. When I got up, my legs were numb and I couldn't walk, which was really uncomfortable. So daughter thought of such desks and chairs. I believe Father Emperor also felt the same way when you received court officials in the Xuanshi Hall before."

Liu Che raised his eyebrows, it was indeed like this.

"This is because the legs are bent for a long time, the blood in the legs does not circulate, and the legs and feet will become numb." Liu Li said while gesturing with her hands: "If such desks and chairs can be used, people can sit on this chair, and their legs will naturally hang down on the ground, so the legs and feet will not be numb."

This was a very trendy thing for Liu Che, but after seeing more trendy things on Liu Li's side, such desks and chairs were instead very ordinary.

Liu Che: "With chairs, wouldn't the original desks be unusable?"

"The original desk cases are also kept. This desk is of course to be matched with the chair, and a high-legged desk with four legs can be used." Liu Li said: "And if there are such desks, we can eat together in the future, instead of one person per case, cold and lonely."

"It looks quite good, you can arrange for craftsmen to make a set first." Liu Che looked at A Jiao: "What does A Jiao think?"

A Jiao had no opinion and handed the desk and chair diagram drawn by Liu Li to Su Wen, telling him to find a carpenter as soon as possible and make it according to the diagram.

Liu Li gradually let out a sigh of relief in her heart. After waiting a few more days, when the desks and chairs were made, she wouldn't have to kneel anymore.

The teaching at the Imperial Academy was currently going smoothly. The doctors instilled new Confucian thoughts into the students one by one, taught everyone to read the Four Books and Five Classics, and learned the knowledge of the ancients.

The carpenter ruined several chairs, and finally made a set of desks and chairs that matched the height of the desk. Liu Li moved this set of desks and chairs to the Imperial Academy to sit on for a few days, feeling very comfortable.

Other classmates saw the chair Liu Li was sitting on and ran over to watch.

"Father Emperor has already ordered craftsmen to work overnight to make them. At the latest in three days, you can also have such desks and chairs, so you don't have to kneel when studying."

"That's great, otherwise, sitting for an hour every day, my legs really can't stand it." A boy said happily: "The Princess of Jianling is truly a god, to be able to think of such things, I admire you."

As he spoke, the boy raised his hand and bowed to Liu Li, and others also praised the Princess of Jianling for her cleverness.

Liu Li was a bit embarrassed by the praise, but when class started, she was even more embarrassed.

Everyone else was kneeling and writing on the low desk case. Only she

"Thank you, Young Lady." Sang Qian said, then looked at Liu Li: "Princess, the items you bought at the market... I will arrange for someone to have them delivered to you tomorrow."

Seeing him looking so serious, he didn't look at all like the glib-tongued person from before.